7 Reasons to Apply for the National Bank World Elite Mastercard

If you’ve been looking for a new travel credit card over the past few months, there is no doubt that you have definitely heard about the National Bank World Elite Mastercard. Offering a record-high welcome bonus coupled with some very beneficial perks, this card has been able to showcase what a competitive travel credit card should aim for.

We’ve reviewed the National Bank World Elite Mastercard in the past, and frankly, Reed and I both have found a consistent place in our wallet for this card thanks to the benefits that it offers.

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National Bank World Elite Mastercard

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard earns À la Carte Rewards points and offers cardholders benefits such as $150 in annual travel credits and access to the National Bank VIP lounge in the YUL International terminal. Due to its stellar travel insurance and purchase protection benefits, we deemed this card the Best Overall Insurance Credit Card of 2024.

Check out our National Bank World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
0 À la carte Rewards

MINSPEND
$0

NET VALUE
$-150+

ANNUAL FEE
$150

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
–

Let’s look at seven reasons why you should consider applying for the National Bank World Elite Mastercard before the current offer ends on June 30, 2023.

1. Record 70,000 Rewards Points Welcome Bonus

[DEPRECIATED]: The welcome offer on the National Bank World Elite ended as of June 30, 2023. Keep an eye out for future offers on this card.

Through Frugal Flyer’s exclusive offer link, new applicants to the National Bank World Elite Mastercard can earn up to 70,000 rewards points through a tiered welcome bonus:

• Earn 30,000 rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 10,000 rewards points after signing up for credit card payment insurance for at least 3 months
• Earn 30,000 rewards points after spending $12,000 in the first 12 months

These points are worth $700 when redeemed through the National Bank’s À la Carte Rewards program travel agency. Points can be redeemed for flights, hotels, vacation packages, and more.

Please note that in order to take advantage of this welcome offer, you must not currently hold a personal National Bank Mastercard credit card or have held one in the last 24 months.

2. First Year Annual Fee Reimbursed ($150 Annual Fee Thereafter)

With the Frugal Flyer exclusive sign-up offer, applicants will receive the first year annual fee reimbursed, a value of $150.

The annual fee will be charged to the credit card account, but the cardholder will receive a statement credit reimbursing the total value of the annual fee within the first four months of account opening.

After a year of holding the card, the cardholder will have to pay a $150 annual fee upon the cardholder’s anniversary. However, as you will see with our next reason to apply, it is very easy to make this card effectively have no annual fee, thanks to a very useful travel credit.

Additionally, when combining this card with certain banking packages (such as banking for professionals or banking for healthcare workers) you can get the annual fee waived year after year.

3. $150 Annual Travel Credit

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard offers a $150 annual travel credit, redeemable each calendar year. This travel credit can be applied towards many travel expenses, including airport parking fees, baggage fees, seat selection fees, airport lounge access fees, and airline ticket upgrades. 

I’ve found the most value in saving on airport parking fees or splurging on exit row seats for domestic flights, all essentially free of charge.

Cardholders will need to submit a travel expense claim within 60 days of the date of purchase and may be required to upload proof of purchase. Once accepted, they will receive a statement credit in the amount of the eligible travel expense.

Once you are past the first year of holding this credit card, the $150 annual travel credit balances out with the $150 annual fee, making it a net zero card to hold when considering fees. When you look at the insurance coverage and other perks you can receive by keeping this card in your wallet, that is what we would consider outsized value.

4. National Bank VIP Lounge Access at Montreal Airport International Terminal

As a perk of holding the National Bank World Elite credit card, cardholders can gain unlimited access to the National Bank VIP lounge at Montreal Trudeau International for themselves, a guest, and two children under 12. 

This lounge is located in the international terminal, meaning you can only access it if you are departing on an international flight from Montreal.

I’ve traveled through the Montreal Airport International Terminal a few times during my recent trips, most recently before my Qatar Airways QSuite flight, and have always enjoyed stopping in this lounge for a meal and a few drinks. There is ample seating, and I’ve always had a relaxing time away from the busyness of the terminal.

If you find yourself connecting through or departing from Montreal often on international flights, this perk definitely can add up.

5. Best Overall Insurance Credit Card in Canada

Reed and I have both had delays and cancellations when traveling over the past year, and we both know the importance of having a credit card with strong travel-related insurance coverage. These insurances can make your life a lot easier when your travel is impacted unexpectedly and reimburse costs, which makes it so you don’t have to rely solely on the APPR compensation process.

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard offers strong travel medical insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption insurance, flight delay insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost/stolen/damaged baggage insurance, and rental car insurance.

Most importantly, the travel insurance coverage applies to award bookings, provided you used the card to pay for a portion of the booking. This is incredibly valuable since many travel insurance coverages offered on credit cards only apply if you charge the full cost of the flights to the credit card, which is impossible when redeeming any loyalty program points or miles.

6. Strong Earning Rates on Daily Spending

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is no slouch when it comes to earning rates on daily spending.

The card’s highest earning rate category is focused on grocery and restaurants, taking a two-tiered points earning approach:

• 5 rewards points per dollar spent when the total gross monthly amount charged to the credit card, regardless of the category, is between $0 and $2,500
• 2 rewards points per dollar spent when the total gross monthly amount charged to the credit card, regardless of the category, is over $2,500

Needless to say, these points can add up quite quickly when used for grocery and restaurant purchases, effectively cutting down the overall cost of your next vacation when redeemed.

The card also earns on other purchases, at the rates specified below:

• 2 rewards points for every dollar spent on Gas and electric vehicle charging purchases, recurring bill payments, and À la carte Travel Agency purchases.
• 1 reward point for every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

7. Complimentary Access to Boingo WiFi

As a World Elite credit card, National Bank World Elite cardholders are eligible to receive complimentary Boingo WiFi membership which provides access to free WiFi at over one million hotspots worldwide.

Most notably, upon signing up for a membership cardholders are eligible to receive twelve 90-minute in-flight WiFi sessions per calendar year. This is the best way to receive free in-flight WiFi on WestJet flights, and a perk that I take advantage of quite often during my travels.

Conclusion

While the National Bank World Elite Mastercard has an outstanding welcome bonus that is available until June 30, 2023, there are so many more reasons to add this card to your wallet. From the outstanding insurance coverage unmatched by any other card in Canada to the easy to use annual $150 travel credit, this card has so many perks and can be a great addition to your travels.

Learn More

National Bank World Elite Mastercard

The National Bank World Elite Mastercard earns À la Carte Rewards points and offers cardholders benefits such as $150 in annual travel credits and access to the National Bank VIP lounge in the YUL International terminal. Due to its stellar travel insurance and purchase protection benefits, we deemed this card the Best Overall Insurance Credit Card of 2024.

Check out our National Bank World Elite Mastercard review for more details.

BONUS
0 À la carte Rewards

MINSPEND
$0

NET VALUE
$-150+

ANNUAL FEE
$150

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
–